We are all artists of our own lives. This art of life itself is meant to be shared. Come and share the ramblings of a poet / pastor / prophet ...and ordinary person...

Tuesday, July 29, 2003

This next generation of Jr. high youth that are growing up in our neighborhoods take Video Games at home as the normal course of life. Digital dissapation... they are learning a stimulous response pattern that is at the core addictive.

I have had to introduce other games to them just to hold their attention. They are far less skilled socially than the youth even 5 years older than they are. Bonding is done over the game... and this is just where it is at...

so how do we grow from here... I want to teach them to design games rather than just consume them... being in the image of the creator gives you power over something that otherwise just appears to be magical... also we need to pray more as being captivated by vain imaginations becomes more and more the norm.

This Friday Boy & Laura kicked it at a coffee shop. We listened to jazz freely offered at a coffee shop on Larchmont between 6th and Beverly. Conversation was family like...we even colaborated on a poem. Big up to Laura that steped up to the challenge...

Here is what we wrote together:

Soul to Soul, Language that sets the Tone,
Love to Love -- Harmony that completes the world.

Power ties, realized energy
reflected in promises made and kept
-- Nuturing life together.

The Power of Love creates the Peace
of two different worlds
-- to combine into One.

Unity is a disaster without It,
a tragic utility
sterile from the soul's Heart-Beat.

Friday, July 25, 2003

I have the witness of a chalenge in my soul and a need to pray. Not clear about all that is underneath it yet. Maybe a need to fast and pray. Just an intuitive awareness. Now is a season of prep. for the fall...and for some new opportunities on the horizon. More on this latter.

Thursday, July 24, 2003

I am in a season where my devotional life has to take priority over evrything else. In one sense this is always true. Yet there are times we need to draw near to God. There is no other comfort in the midst of sorrow. I have found no other source of peace sufficient to feed the soul than my heart turned towards God. Prayer becomes like breathing sometimes. Don't forget to breathe.

Tuesday, July 22, 2003

I am reading a book that is helping me let go of pain that was robing me of internal freedom and joy. The loss of a friend that was murdered near where I live. A Gace Disguised is the best book on understanding and walking through grief that I have ever read. I strongly encourage anyone aquainted with grief to read it

My heart is finding a new level of healing and freedom. Pain, Evil, and wrong doing exsists in this world. To forgive and to cry for justice in one voice is not a contradiction. We forgive and let go of the past in order to be free to continue to love. We cry for justice in order to halt the perpetuation of Wrong doing. Dr. Martin Luther King understood this profoundly...he could forgive someone who stabed him and continue to call for justice on all fronts. King is known for what he did in public, but few pay attention to his spiritual disciplines -- what he did in private. I want to nurture the soul of compassionate leaders. What we do when no one is looking is key to the strength we carry out into the streets.

Sunday, July 20, 2003

Last night was quite the hang out and fellowship time...a good time of conversation, joy, and celebration at Kathy Henry's Apartment... with John Shorack (who is living with his family in Venezuela), Juan Jose, the Ramos family, Nathan B. (who is living and working in Romania), Chris and Roxy and others...

What is striking was the depth of sharing. I will remeber for the rest of my life Dora's recounting hearing in person one of Oscar Romero's last sermons.

I Peter 4:7-11 comes to my mind... Hospitality is part of sustaining the journey of faith together.

We missed another celebration a Wil's house... a first b-day party for a one year old. You all were also in my thoughts...
and so it goes...

Saturday, July 19, 2003

This week has been full of non-stop days. Having come back from a week of vacation has helped me realize why I was so tired. It takes humility to slow down. I am learning to share or surrender to other some of the responsibility. Thank you to Wil for setting our annual art accademy for LA Street Productions. Thank you to Rei for organizing our annual cook out... and so it goes... and the reasons for gratitude continues to grow.

Tuesday, July 15, 2003

Back from vacation. Much more prepared for what is up. I have learned to anticipate from the vibe on the streets. Another young man from the neighborhood is gunned down. I did not know him. But one young friend shared with me that he was a close friend... Pray as this will be a turning point for him away from the gang life...

Heat brings the worst out of many. Another friend had his car broken into and his stereo system stolen. (This does not happen a lot in our neighborhood). A different friend suffered in a fight with a person who was once counted as a friend. The Helicopters kept me up until 12:30am last night... more gun fire...

I am a pastor who continues to care for the journey of the souls in my neighborhood. I am a missionary convinced that Jesus wants to teach us a better way to live. I am a street poet and prophet that know that it may get worse before it gets better. There is joy in all circumstances when we realize that life is a gift and it is to be accepted from the hand of God every day. What a privelege it is to do the good that is within our power... What a great privelge it is to do the good that is within God's power to do... Pray that I will walk in the humility necessary to follow in Christ's steps...

I am reading an autobiography about Agnes Sanford. I find her to be a very interesting person... who influenced one of my mentors Mrs. Loder. It is also interesting that she was influenced by Morton Kelsey. I am reviewing these influences in my life... and so it goes...

I have been thinking about how important inner character is to all of life. We live with ourselves 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. The deeper our clarity is about how our choices effect who we become on the inside the better off we are in this life. This is at the root St. Peter's concern when he writes II Peter 1:3-11.

Alan Wong as of this last Saturday... is now a Married man. Emily Chang his Lovely Bride. Jude, my mom, Sunday and Kieth drove out to Palis Verdes to witness this event. What was striking was the whole family's love and support for an old missionary woman who had shared her life and faith with the (?) side of the family while in China. It was a Christian wedding with what looked like a lot of intergenerational health in the family. The difference from what usually happens to families that immigrate was striking. Those families testified that God had a lot to do with their collective well being. Not to say that them is perfect or anything. Just that things can and often do better in the context of a living Christian faith. In any case it is the examined life that is worth living.

This Fourth of July was incredible. The fireworks bought and set off by our neighbors were bigger in quantity and size than I remember in previous years. We missed last years fourth in the neighborhood which the neighbors claimed was the best ever. What made this celebration special for us is that my MOM, sister Sunday, and brother-in-law Kieth joined us for this weekend. We were joined by Kathy H., Casandra Carter, Carmen and her family, and others friends and families from the neighborhood. The highlight for me was when my mom got to meet Ozzie's little baby boy and to hear a little of his perspective on the generations coming up. This was an impromptu event... that just came together... I like it when things happen like this.

Jude and I are on vacation. The last vacation we had was about a year ago when my sister Sunday got married to Kieth Herzog. (For them it is a punch Buggy world ever since)... Jude and I are surprised at how tired we are... it is good to get away. House sitting for Jude's brother Peter makes the time away affordable.

Sunday and Monday I was sick with a fevor and a sore throat. 2 days in bed proved to be a hidden blessing. A push to think about life... and to think about priorities. I started to read the journal of Francis Asburry again (readign the scriptures that he referrs to... this is my way of getting out of the mold of just reading the passages of scripture that I like). What a passion for souls. I want to live out of that kind of love for people.

This Saturday LA ST. Prod. went once again to Peperdine Universtiy for another day of art instruction with Professor Avery. 10 of us got instruction about color theory and encouragement in learning to mix our own colors. This was our 6th year... We have all grown over the years... and gifts of love and involvement of others in our lives has been priceless.

I have contiued this week with playing lectures by Dr. James Loder. Then spinning KRSONE and his Ablum Spiritual Minded. We need to learn to love God and people and wisely use things, rather than loving things and using people (and even God). Wake Up!!!

John the Baptist in the desert
Jesus on the Cross
Peter learning to love three times larger than ever before...

The Apostle John with his visions
The Apostle Paul constantly trying to help others understand...
All this And Visitations of the Holy Spirit that spurs us on to love and good deeds

God’s love reaches for us daily...
We learn to...
Love God first
Love people more than things
And do not be surprised at the confused responses to such a life

You will witness your own transformation
You will stimulate the conversion of others
Life will not stagnate — embrace transitions because living things keep growing
Become the change you hope to see in this world
Continue this Revolution of souls...

Knock, Knock on your hearts door...
God wants to be known as the very source of love itself
Burning inside of you;
--- There is no greater love.

By jaw 2003

Late with the poem for this month...so this will be for next as well...